Rising Storm: A Wakfu Fan Fiction
by MysticPanda01
Summary: Based four years after the defeat of Qibly, Yugo the Eliatrope and the Brotherhood of the Tofu embark on a journey to the small town of Prisima, where the "Twin Phantoms" Nila and Alin live, hiding in plain sight because of their odd looks. But could they be part of something bigger? They are about to discover a history that they never knew existed. (My first fan fiction!) (OCs)
1. A New Quest

Chapter One

The soft dawn light rose slowly over the hills east of the village of Prisima. The rays of sun crept silently over the rooftops. Down in the village inn, two teens waited excitedly for the sun to reach their window. If the village was awake, they would run screaming at the sight of the twins in the window. One was a girl and one was a boy but they were practically identical. They had paper white skin and had blue eyes and lighter blue where the whites of their eyes were supposed to be. Around their mouths and eyes was a thick line of cyan and glowing blue tattoos spread up their right arms. Very light gray hair sat underneath their large, decorative, hats that bore floppy animal ears and a thick stuffed tail with a tuft of crème colored fur on the end.

Even with their odd features, no one could deny the look of pure joy on their faces. As soon as the dawn light rose over the rooftop across the street, they sprinted of out of their hidden attic bedroom to a bedroom directly below. They burst into the dark room.

"Mama! Mama! Wake up!" the twins shouted in unison, "Come on! It's morning on our fourteenth birthday!"

Mama laughed and sat up. "Nila and Alin, calm down. How about you get dressed and come to the family kitchen? Meet me there in five minutes and get ready for a birthday surprise!" Alin, the male twin, pumped his fist and whooped. Nila, the female twin, clapped and did a little dance, and they both rushed upstairs. Mama, or Mrs. Phyllis Sloth, was a rather portly Eniripsa, and looked nothing like her son and daughter. She had brown, but graying, hair and wore a stained apron over her traditional Eniripsa dress, and had small dainty wings like the rest of her race. Her magic paintbrush-like healing wand fit nicely in her apron pocket.

Up in the attic, Nila grabbed her favorite brown tunic and matching shorts from her dresser. She snatched her belt and cross-body sash and rushed to the shared bathroom and slammed and locked the door. Alin frowned, frustrated that he didn't get the bathroom first, and pounded on the hard wooden door.

"Nila, it's my turn! Come on!"

"Nope! I get it first, 'cause you hogged it for hours yesterday!"

"I ate something bad! How is that my fault?"

…

"You wake him up!"

"No, you do it! He's your son!"

"He's your brother!"

Yugo the Eliatrope hid under the covers of his bed, listening to his adoptive father, Alibert, and his twin dragon brother, Adamai, argue, pretending he was asleep. He knew why they were bickering. It was his birthday, and every year since they had defeated Qibly in the final battle, they surprised him in the morning. It was Adamai's birthday too, but he was a selfless, kind brother who would rather scare his brother to death on his birthday than be surprised himself. It was always a little frightening to wake Yugo up, being a heavy sleeper and having reflexes that automatically shot Wakfu portal blasts when he was suddenly awakened.

 _Not today_ , Yugo thought. He was determined to scare Adamai and Alibert, not then other way around. After all, it was a day for… plot twists. Yugo decided to take the preemptive path, and slowly slid out of bed and on to the wood floorboards. He crept on his bare feet and leaned over the stairwell that led to his bedroom. At the bottom, the two family members stood, whisper shouting at each other. Alibert held a plate holding two cupcakes, each baring the number fourteen in blue icing. Yugo stifled a laugh as his sneak attack plan developed in his head. He grabbed his huge, blue, eared hat of his bedpost and pulled it over his little dragon wings made of translucent blue Wakfu, and dirty-blonde hair. The thick tail end of his hat and its tuft of fur hung behind his back. He tugged his orange and blue outfit over his body and fastened his buttons. Then Yugo summoned a blue Wakfu portal and jumped through it.

Down in the stairwell, Adamai held up his claws in submission, "Fine, I'll wake him up but-" he was cut off but the distinct sound of a portal and a shout as Yugo fell from a portal that was suspended in the air above Adamai. They nearly collided, but Yugo twirled in such a way that caused him to land on his feet a little ways away. The portals disappeared.

Adamai stood stunned, staring at Yugo. Alibert burst into hardy laughter, bringing tears to his eyes. "Wow! That was some amazing tricks there, buddy!" He laughed harder.

Adamai clenched his fists and ran straight at Yugo, screaming, "When I get my claws on you, you'll be sorry!" Yugo yelped, and sprinted away and into the public dining area, where his father worked as the chef and waiter of his business. Luckily, the restaurant was closed so the sibling fight didn't disrupt the regular customers. Adamai leaped onto a table and jumped on his brother's back and they tussled and yelled. Then a knock sounded at the door, and the boys froze. Alibert walked in, put the cupcakes on a table, pried the dragon off the Eliatrope, and answered the door.

"Well, if it isn't my old friend, Ruel Stroud!" Alibert shouted throwing his arms around the old Enutrof.

Ruel laughed, and strolled into the café, sitting on his stool at the counter. "Hello, Alibert!" He took an apple from a bowl. "I'm here for the birthday of the King and Dragon!" He waved his hands in the air in a flourish and took a bite of his apple.

"That apple will go on your tab, by the way." Alibert smiled.

"Are Evangelyne, Percedal, and Amalia coming, too?" Yugo asked excitedly. Adamai nodded and smiled equally excited.

"I believe so, and Balthazar said he'd contact you using the Eliacube so your people can say happy birthday."

"Sweet!"

"They'll be here in an hour or so." Alibert said, "But I have more cupcakes to bake."

…

"Happy birthday to me!" Nila sang, munching on her birthday apple pie slice. Alin was too busy to sing, as his birthday present was a large cupcake with chocolate icing and he was determined to eat it without a fork.

"I hate to ruin your birthday but you still need to help with the inn." Mama said, as she gathered her kitchen utensils for the inn kitchen.

"No problem, Mama!" Alin said with his mouth full, "We like working here anyway."

"Yeah! It's fun being the phantoms that haunt the place," Nila laughed. She brought her empty plate to the sink. "Come on, brother, it's time for work!"

Alin brushed the crumbs off his brown tunic and shorts. He adjusted his belt and cross-body sash, and put his plate in the sink as well. "I think that we should stay in the rafters of the dining room today."

"Not without these," Mama handed each twin a package. Inside, a dark gray hooded cape surprised them. Alin immediately put his over his shoulders and pulled the oversize hood over his head and Nila clapped.

"You can't see your face through the shadow your hood casts," Nila tried her cloak on and the same effect shadowed her face.

"Perfect!" Mama grinned, "Now you two are truly phantoms."

The siblings laughed and rushed out of the family kitchen and silently through the hallways that were filled with rooms for customers. The twins began to laugh eerily as being the haunts of the inn was their job. They were the main reason so many people came to their town. Teenagers always dared each other to try and spend the night in the scariest room in the scariest hallway. Of course there were family rooms for younger kids or the easily frightened.

As the phantoms passed, some of the guests woke up to eerie laughter and the swishing of the new capes. Soon they reached the dining room, just as doors began to open, they leaped into the rafters. The dining room was rather large with a sloping roof, so the wooden rafters spanned a rather large area, with plenty of running space. Also, the roof proved to be great at making loud echoes if you could throw your voice like Alin and Nila could. After finding a place to hide, the guests began to stream through the doors for breakfast. The crowd was a good mix of local thrill seekers and foreign families who came to experience the rich culture and great food of Prisima. And, of course, the Twin Phantoms Inn and Restaurant challenge.

Breakfast continued normally with the occasional new visitor. Nila leaped to a beam above the kitchen window where Mama was serving pancakes. Nila whistled quietly and Mama nodded without looking up, and smiled. Nila leaped back to her brother and they smiled at each other. The show was about to begin!

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Mama shouted. The chatter died down. "Today is an important day! Today is the anniversary of the birth and death of the phantoms!" The crowd listened silently, immensely intrigued by the phantoms history. "As you may know, they died rather tragically, but still happily haunt this inn. I now call to them." She waved her wand in the air and all the overhead lamps extinguished.

The people gasped, only the candles on the table providing light. Nila giggled an evilly amused giggle. "Hello, guests! How are you enjoying your stay in the building we died in?"

Alin laughed menacingly, "I hope you answer correctly." The 'ghosts' laughed together as the people sat rigid, slightly afraid.

Mama put her hands on her hips and scowled. "That's no way to treat guests in your home!"

"Sorry, Phyllis." The twins said in an ashamed voice.

Then Alin spoke to the people. "Thanks for staying in our inn. Phyllis' food is to _die_ for." He snickered. "Get it?"

"Yes, Alin, we get it," Nila said, "Stop trying to be funny, it's never going to happen." The guests laughed anyway.

"Now please turn the lights back on." Mama waved her wand again. Just as requested, the lights illuminated the room. "Thank you."

The twins leaped through the rafters, and left the room, ran through the halls without encountering anyone, and went for break into the family kitchen. Alin plopped down on a chair, and slid off his hood. He grabbed an apple from the bowl. "I think that was rather successful considering we don't use a script."

"I think your puns are horrid," Nila argued, "Mine are way better." She took a broom from the closet. "Come on. Mama said we still have to work."

"This is always the worst part," Alin pouted. He unfolded the laundry bag and put a duster on a cleaning cart.

"We always hear interesting news, though," said Nila. She always looked on the bright side, even when Alin couldn't. "Maybe someone famous will be coming to town on a quest and we will hear about it."

Alin raised an eyebrow, "Since when do quests lead adventurers to Prisima?"

…

"Hi ya, Yugo!" Percedal greeted the Eliatrope with a toothy grin. Rubilax the Shushu sword muttered something inaudible from his holster on Percedal's belt. "Ruby says happy birthday." Following the Iop was Evangelyne, the Cra, and Amalia, the Sadida Princess.

"Hello birthday boys. How is everything going?" Eva asked. Her blonde hair was a little longer since they last seen her, but she was probably too busy with being Amalia's lady-in-waiting to change it.

"Yeah, how's the ruler business going?" Amalia questioned jokingly. Ever since Yugo discovered he was the King of the Eliatropes, there was an on running joke between the princess and him.

"Great! Plus we're fourteen now!" Yugo said proudly. He had grown considerably. As tall as Amalia was when she was thirteen. Adamai had grown bigger to but was still short, since growing was different for dragons.

"Glad to see everyone!" said Alibert, "Balthazar opened a portal message thing in the kitchen for some odd reason." Adamai laughed. Maybe it was a dragon thing, but he was never very good at finding locations for messages either.

Ruel hung his shovel on an empty chair, "I believe that I wouldn't mind getting cake back there too."

Adamai's eyes widened. "There's cake?!"

"Of course there's cake, it's a birthday party," Percedal pulled Ruby out of his holster and waved him around heroicly. "I shall vanquish hunger with cake!" Ruby rolled his eye.

"Actually, its cupcakes, but yes, cake," Alibert led the group into the large kitchen, where a Wakfu portal hovered above the stove/grill that was covered in hot coals. An image was projected on the inside of the portal of Balthazar sitting on his floating pillow, surrounded by little children wearing eared hats. In between the dragon's outstretched claws was the Eliacube, turning and swirling with power.

"Yugo! Adamai! Happy birthday to you both!" cried Balthazar, as the Eliatrope children shouted their greetings. "You've both grown quite a bit!"

"Thanks Balthazar. Thanks everyone," Yugo directed his second thanks at the children and they all giggled in excitement.

Balthazar smiled when he saw the rest of the group. "Hello Brotherhood of the Tofu. Where is the Tofu?"

"Oh darn, I forgot Az!" Yugo used portals to leave the room. In less than twenty seconds, he came back through another portal with Az in tow. "Sorry guys. I left him sleeping upstairs."

Suddenly the Eliacube twirled faster, sputtering sparks of blue. Balthazar frowned as he stared deep into the relic's shiny surface. Then his eyes widened. "Yugo, the Eliacube has told me that you have a new journey to embark on with the Brotherhood."


	2. Truly a Day for Plot Twists

Chapter Two

The sound of water colliding with the side of the clothes wash tub filled Nila's ears as she poured more soap in with the load of towels. It was wash day for the twins, as their mother was still downstairs, serving food for the inn-goers. Alin stood on the other side of the room, running his hands through the air in a circular pattern with a puzzled look on his face.

"You saw that too, right?" he asked. Earlier, while helping with the dishes in the kitchen, a plate had fallen and Alin stretched out his arm in response. His hand glowed blue, and a circle of matching blue light had appeared and, instead of hitting the floor, the plate fell in, and it all disappeared.

"Yeah, but Mama said that we'd deal with it later," Nila was as surprised as he was but she didn't let it show.

"But what if we could get the plate back by doing it again?" pondered the teenager. Alin was a bit dangerous and daring, even when there was a threat of injury.

Nila rolled her eyes. "Fine," she got up from the wash tub, leaving the towels to soak, "But if we break something, it's your fault." Alin aimed his right arm at a blank wall. Nila stood behind him, in hopes of not being injured by unknown magic. As her twin focused on the wall, his hand began to glow blue, just like before. But this time the tattoos on his arm radiated light as well. A circle of blue appeared on the wall and a plate popped out and shattered on the floor.

Mama's footsteps echoed in the hallway outside the laundry room. "What was that?"

The siblings shared a look. "Umm… a plate?" They grimaced.

"Is that the..? Okay, both of you, upstairs, now!" Mama growled angrily. The laundry room door opened revealing two ashamed teenagers, hanging their heads. She sighed, "I told you both to wait until tonight to talk about this, but while the inn is closed until lunch, now will do." She led them up the stairs to the family living area.

"Mama, we were just curious, and we might as well have gotten the plate back anyway," Alin attempted to make an excuse as they sat at the table.

"Alin broke it, not me!" Nila blamed. Alin glared at her, but said nothing.

Mama paced back and forth in front of them. "First of all, listen to directions when they are given, especially when it comes to this important."

Nila frowned, confused. "Important? What's so important about us? We're just kids in a tiny town in Amakna."

"Yes, that's all true, but something is coming that is far beyond my understanding. When I found you two, a note was tucked into each of your hats explaining your names and that when you discovered your abilities, a new adventure would come to you, and your origin would be discovered. I'm worried that it would be too much for you, that you'll get hurt." Mama buried her face in her hands exasperatedly.

"Does that mean I can do that too?" Nila grinned.

Alin punched her in the shoulder, "You are being so insensitive!"

"Sorry."

Mama sniffed then smiled, "Its fine. I'm sure you're curious, but to be honest I have no idea what your powers can do. All I do know that they are portals that you can travel through and powered by the extreme levels of Wakfu in your bodies."

Alin leaped up. "We are mighty!" He traced a circle in the air with his glowing hand and summoned a portal. Then a second one appeared on the slanted ceiling. Alin stuck his arm through the first one, and it went through to the second one. He waved his hand on the ceiling and laughed.

…

"A new quest?" Eva repeated. She frowned at the news.

"I don't have time for quests! I am a princess! Princess Amalia Sharan Sharm of the Sadida Kingdom and I am very busy!" Amalia shrieked. Her tan skin had gone red from shouting so much.

"I thought you loved adventures?" Percedal questioned munching on a cupcake. His face was covered in blue frosting.

"I have more royal duties now that I'm seventeen! Father gave me a town to rule over for practice."

Balthazar cleared his throat. "I think you're missing the point here. The Eliacube has pointed to a place in World of Twelve that is a turning point in the story of you all. A new storm is rising and it won't be pretty if the upcoming war is lost. Once again the world needs you."

"What war? What could be wrong this time? We defeated a Xelor maniac, a homicidal Eliatrope traitor, and a Demon King! What else could be wrong with this world?!" asked Adamai in disbelief. Smoke puffed out of his nose.

"Calm down, bro," Yugo said confidently, "That just proves how strong we are! We can handle whatever is thrown our way."

"That doesn't mean we'll be ready for it," Ruel pointed out. He too was eating a cupcake, but was less of a mess than Dally.

"So, Balthazar, do you have any details about said mission?" Eva asked nervously. She plastered a fake smile on her face. What was making this brave Cra frightened was anyone's guess.

"You wouldn't be traveling to far away from where you are now. A small town to the east called Prisima. The Eliacube said nothing else as to what to do next. I'm sure you'll find out there." Balthazar shifted on his floating pillow. The Eliatrope children climbing on the huge dragon listened intently at the story unfolding before them.

"Um, what about my princess duties?" Amalia insisted. All she got in response was a look from Adamai saying 'I know you what to come on the quest!' "Fine, Father will just have to respect my decision." Adamai rolled his eyes.

"It's settled then," Alibert rubbed his hands together, "I'm coming too.

Yugo raised an eyebrow. "Really? You want to come on a dangerous adventure all of a sudden, even to an unknown town?"

"It's not _totally_ unknown." The Enutrof said, glancing away.

It was Ruel's turn to be surprised. "I know that town. That's where that nice Eniripsa that helped us out with our bounty hunting lived. What was her name?"

"Phyllis. And that's not why I'm coming. I always hear about adventures afterword, and this time, I'll be part of the action. Just like old times." He did a couple air punches for emphasis.

"Dad, don't do that," Yugo said, embarrassed. Then he turned to the message portal. "Thank you Balthazar. Will you be able to contact us during our journey?"

"Occasionally, but it's harder than it looks to conjure a message portal in the right place," the dragon replied. Adamai nodded in agreement.

"How's this for a plan? We stay at the inn tonight and set out in the morning!" Eva fake smiled again. Dally frowned, recognizing her expression.

"A fine idea! It all goes on Ruel's tab!" Amalia said slyly.

"I don't agree with this," argued an angry Ruel.

…

After the inn had opened at lunch, the twins rushed to finish their chores so they could experiment further with their powers. Alin had already developed the knack for portal travel, and pranks, while Nila had still to produce two portals at once.

Alin hung his empty laundry bag in a hall closet. "C'mon, hurry up Nila! Let's go practice! I have an idea!"

Nila frowned, "What's the point? I can't do anything. Why don't you go practice by yourself?" She buried herself in her last chore; sweeping the halls. She was furious under her disappointed mask. She was just as capable as her brother. Why couldn't she pull off any cool tricks?

"That's not true. You could totally…uh…" Alin faltered. He didn't know what their powers could do let alone suggest anything new.

Nila threw the broom aggressively into the closet. "Don't you see?" She glowered at Alin. "I…" Her voice rose with each word. "Can't..." Her heart began to beat faster. "Do…" She clenched her fists. "Anything!" She flung her arm in front of her and a beam of Wakfu flew from her outstretched palm.

Alin summoned a portal in front of him and above him. The blast was channeled through the front and shot from the top, destroying anything above him.

…

Yugo and Adamai were in the kitchen filling orders when it happened.

"One special, coming right up!" Yugo shouted through the kitchen window. He aimed his portals carefully, then shot the plated meal through to the correct table.

"Not bad, brother," Adamai said. He flipped a steak onto the grill.

"Thanks, I've been practicing," Yugo replied, heading over to the spice cabinet. Just as he was reaching for a jar of garlic, a stab of pain shot through Yugo's head and a cyan flash clouded his vision. He pressed the heels of his hands into his temples and stumbled back, eyes closed, as his heart pumped faster. He crashed into a sack of grain, spilling it everywhere. Then, just as sudden as it came, the pain left Yugo's head.

"Yugo!" Adamai ran toward his brother, dragging his tail through the spilled grain. He helped him up. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Ad. Did you feel that?" Yugo scowled. What was that?

"No…" Adamai looked quizzically at the Eliatrope. "What happened?" he repeated.

The boy king huffed. "I just got a migraine for a split second, and I couldn't see, and it felt as if someone just created enough Wakfu energy to open a portal to the White Dimension."

"Where Qibly has been banished?!" The dragon's eyes widened. "You don't think that he's escaped, do you?"

"No, it was enough power to do so, but it was channeled into a blast, not an escape portal," Yugo brushed the grain off his arms and hands. "We might need to leave early for this quest," he decided.

"Do you think that the energy was something to do with the quest?" Adamai asked as he followed Yugo out of the kitchen and into the full dining room.

"I don't think so, Ad," Yugo replied, "I know so."

…

"What have I done?" Nila whispered to herself. Everything above her brother was destroyed. The attic floor had a huge hole and a new skylight. When a breeze blew by, dust came raining down.

"What the heck, Nila?" shouted Alin angrily. "What was that for?"

"I don't know, I just…" Nila hid her face in her hands, "I just was upset and…" She had no words for the shame and humiliation she felt.

"I'm your brother! Why would you try and kill me?"

"I wasn't trying to kill you," Nila said quietly.

"Then what were you trying to do?" Alin cried, breathing heavily.

Nila choked. What _was_ she trying to do? What had caused her to lash out like that? She was always peaceful, even when she was extremely angry or sad. Holding back tears, she suddenly portal traveled to the attic, then to the roof, then to the forest, where Alin couldn't see her cry.

Alin clenched his fists and punched a wall in frustration. Nila never meant to hurt anyone, especially not her own brother. That just wasn't her. Had he pushed her to hard? Had he bragged about his success? It wasn't entirely her fault either. He had aimed the blast toward the ceiling. How had she conjured such a force from her body? And she had used portals! She was powerful when emotional.

"Alin, you need to go after her," Mama said from farther down the hall. He whipped around to see his adoptive mother, not angry as he'd suspected, but calm and collected.

Alin pointed to the ceiling above him. "What about this?"

Mama shrugged. "To be perfectly honest, I figured you would destroy more than that. We can fix it, but not without your sister."

Alin nodded. "Sorry Mama, I'll go get her." He used his portals to follow Nila's path.

"And you better apologize, too!" Mama called after him. Then she directed her attention to the damage caused by her son and daughter. "They'll discover their destiny sooner than I thought."


	3. Looking for Nila

Chapter Three

Yugo sat outside his adoptive father, Alibert's, inn. So much had happened on his birthday. His best friends abandoned whatever they were doing to visit him and his brother, Adamai the dragon, for their fourteenth birthday. Balthazar, his less direct dragon brother had contacted him to tell him that a new danger was raising and it was up to them to stop it. Plus his father had decided that he would come on his adventure, and he supposedly knew an Eniripsa in the village they were heading to. As it all swam through the boy king's head, he stared at the rising sun over the forest. All questions would be answered soon, as it was the day they would all set off in hopes of uncovering the unknown threat.

He stood as his friends came through the door. Amalia was sulking and Dally was unnaturally happy, as always. Adamai was excitedly flapping his little wings, Eva was unnaturally nervous, Ruel was checking his haven bag, and Alibert was grabbing his old Enutrof shovel off its stand on the door. Az flew out last, landing neatly in Yugo's pocket.

"Ready?" Percedal asked to no one in particular. He strode off in the opposite direction they were supposed to go.

"It's this way, Iop brain," Eva face palmed. She set off in the correct direction, east, and everyone followed.

"I thought we agreed not to call me that anymore," Dally argued as he caught up to the group.

"That's not going to stop them," Ruby stated. Then under his breath he said, "Iop brain." But Dally was too distracted to notice the Shushu. Eva had lagged behind, anxiously gripping her magic bow.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Percedal put a hand on her shoulder.

"What? I'm fine!" Eva grinned a fake smile, trying to offset the worry in her eyes. Percedal gave her a look that said 'I don't believe you. You can't trick me.'

She sighed. "If I tell you, you won't say anything to the others, right?" He nodded solemnly. "This town has a bad history for my family. We once traveled here, and lost everything. It's like the place is cursed for me." A tear fell down her cheek. "I swore I would never say what else happened there. That's why I can't tell you everything." She sniffed. "But I can't not go. I have a duty as a member of this team."

"Maybe, whatever happened, this quest will lead you on a path that will fix it." Dally wrapped his arm around Eva. "I'll always be there to help you."

"Thanks Percy." Eva wiped her eyes. "Let's just hope we don't encounter any repercussions."

"I have no idea what that means, but okay!" He took Eva's hand, and they ran to catch up to the adventuring group.

Leading at the front was Yugo, holding a metal compass. He wore his blue hoodless cloak that wrapped around his whole body. Balthazar had given it to him the year before, saying that it was Yugo's favorite in his past lives. Apparently, he had worn it all the time.

"Dad, how does a compass work again?"

"Were you leading us in a random direction?" asked a slightly aggravated Amalia.

Eva cut in before a fight broke out, "Actually, we are going the right way. Cras have a natural sense of direction." And she took pride in that.

Az flew above the tree tops as the Brotherhood entered the wood. To the north stood Soft Oak, the grand tree that rose high above the tallest trees. To the south was just a long expanse of woods. Behind the group, view of Yugo's home town of Emelka was rapidly shrinking as they made progress.

"I wonder what Az sees." Ruel pondered, "It must be nice, being able to fly and see the wonders from above."

"If you could fly, all you'd use it for would be some scheme to make money." Alibert laughed. Ruel remained silent, as that was true.

"How long will it take to get there?" Adamai asked impatiently.

"At this pace, by this afternoon," Alibert answered.

"As long as we don't run into trouble," Rubilax muttered.

…

Nila collapsed against a tree as tears streamed down her face. Everything looked bleak in her life. She made her twin brother hate her. She frightened several people on her way to the forest, most of them calling her a monster. She destroyed half of her attic bedroom. Some mysterious power was flowing through her body at that very moment and she had no control over it. And now she was utterly lost in the woods.

Nila sat leaning against the tree. _Now that I think about it, how did I get here?_ She thought. _Did I portal?_ She looked at her paper white hands and they began to glow blue. She had gotten used to the glowing, but the sensation of power concentrated in her hand still shocked her. Gulping, she aimed her hand at the tree across from her and narrowed her eyes, focusing. A circle of cyan and blue materialized before her. Then Nila aimed her other hand at a spot a little farther away. Once again, a portal came into being.

Standing, the girl stuck her hand through the first portal. As expected, her hand was protruding from the other one, completely unharmed. _What have I got to lose?_ Nila jumped through her first creation, only to come tumbling out her second portal. Not long after, they disappeared.

Looking around, Nila sighed. Having nothing else to do, she practiced her portals, using them to get high up in a tree. Nila looked into the sky through the green leaves. Was it morning? Was her brother looking for her? Probably not. Why would he? Plus she had been out all night, lost.

That thought sent her into another silent crying fit. Hopefully no one heard her; she wanted to be left alone.

…

At noon, the usual complaining from the boys started. And it was getting on Amalia's last nerve.

"I'm so hungry!" Dally moaned. Ruby rolled his eye.

"We'll eat when we get there," Eva replied calmly. Amalia tried really hard to not punch someone in the face.

"But I want another cupcake!" Dally sulked. This time Eva rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

"We can't be that far from wherever, right?" asked Yugo hopefully. His stomach growled loudly.

"We'll get there faster if you shut up!" Amalia shrieked. Even the boys' stomachs grew quiet.

Soon, the band reached a clearing. Unfortunately, this only made Dally, Yugo, and Ruel hungrier. And it made Amalia angrier.

"Ogrest's chaos, guys! We are almost there!" the princess seethed, "Can't you just deal with it for a little while longer?!"

Adamai stopped abruptly and waved his claw to silence the squabble. "Did you hear that?"

"All I can hear is the complaints of _them_!" Amalia shouted.

"Seriously, be quiet and listen! I can't place it, but it sounds like a person of some kind."

The Brotherhood did just as the dragon said. Eva nocked her bow and Percedal brandished his Shushu. The Enutrofs hefted their shovels, ready for a fight. Having nothing other than his natural abilities, Yugo held up his glowing blue hands, preparing to portal.

But nothing happened. Even when concentrating intensely, no one could hear anything. Adamai was insistent, though and followed his dragon ears. _Defiantly a person, not an animal,_ he resolved, _Almost like crying._ He beckoned for the others to follow and they did so wordlessly. Deeper into the woods, off the original path to Prisima, but Adamai felt this was the way they were supposed to go. As if they were meant to discover something in these trees. Or he could just be hungry.

…

Alin held his sister's cloak as her ran through the forest, shouting her name, trying to find her. He had searched for as long as he could get away with before Mama said to come home last night. Even though she was worried for her daughter, she made her son get some sleep, though it only came with tossing and turning in restlessness. But now Alin had been searching since dawn tirelessly.

"Nila!" he called, "Where are you?" Once again he got no answer. Sighing, he ran on.

Suddenly, a twig snapped under someone's shoe. A sliver of hope caused Alin to run in the direction of the sound. But what he saw was not his twin sister.

A band of travelers stood, weapons drawn. An adult female Cra aimed her bow at him. Two adult male Enutrofs held their shovels, scowling. A teenage female Sadida stared in shock, gripping something in her hand menacingly. An adult male Iop, holding what looked like a sword with an eye. The oddest of all was the blue and white dragon brandishing its claws, and a teenage boy with glowing blue hands and an eared hat.

"You're not Nila," Alin said, greatly confused. Who diverged this far from the path to town?

"Ew, what is that?" the Sadida asked in disgust. Alin glanced around him, trying to see what she was talking about.

"Hey, she's talking about you, ugly," the Iop said. He charged straight at Alin, and he swore he heard his sword shout a battle cry. Alin decided that he didn't want to get stabbed with the talking sword, so he summoned two portals that turned the angry Iop back toward his friends. But instead of running, he dropped the sword, and puked.

The Cra rolled her eyes, "Never mind, I got it." A glowing arrow was planned to go through Alin's heart, but he held up his hands.

"Hold on! I'm not hurting anyone! I'm just trying to find my sister." The Cra put her bow down. The Iop was still throwing up, and the Sadida looked skeptical. The dragon and hat kid were giving Alin this weird look. They looked Alin's age, and he probably would have liked them, if they were more understanding of his strange features.

"How did you do that?" asked the dragon. The hat kid looked like he was conflicting in his head about something.

"What, this?" Alin summoned a portal by way of glowing hand. "I just discovered I could do that yesterday. Why?" The Enutrofs had said nothing throughout this encounter, now began to relax, holding their shovels with less threat.

"I can do that, too," the hat boy said quietly. He used a portal to blast a beam of Wakfu at a dead branch, destroying it.

"My sister can do that!" Alin smiled, and then frowned, remembering why she had run away. "And that's why I have to find her." He turned away, gripping Nila's cloak sadly and began to walk away.

"Hey, wait!" The hat kid ran to catch up to Alin. "We can help you find your sister!"

"What?" the Sadida shrieked, "I don't want to help that _thing_!"

Alin glared at the girl, "I'm no different from you than you are from a Pandawa. You just need to calm down." Deep inside, it really hurt Alin to be called names. He just really just wanted to fit in, but it was true that it would never happen.

The Sadida gasped, "I am Princess Amalia Sharan Sharm! You can't talk to me like that!"

"Something tells me that your friends here do that all the time." She said nothing.

"Well, I'll help, if they don't want to," the eared hat boy said, "I'm Yugo, by the way."

"I'm Alin." They shook hands.

The dragon walked forward too. "I'll go! I think maybe I heard your sister earlier. That's why we're so far off the path. I'm Adamai."

Princess sat stubbornly. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here if you need me. Eva, stay here with me."

Cra lady, Eva, shrugged, "I guess I'm staying as well."

Iop man wiped the puke from his mouth. "I'm staying." He barfed again.

The Enutrofs made no sign that they were leaving. The one with the smaller shovel spoke, "Yugo, maybe we shouldn't help, I mean we're almost to Prisima and…"

"Dad, something tells me that this is something Ad and I have to do. We'll be fine." Yugo said confidently.

Alin was confused again. But no matter; it was time to find Nila. They set off, weaving in between the trees, shouting. Adamai seemed determined. He had slowed, listening intently. "What are you doing?"

"I heard something from… that way." The dragon turned and stepped quietly toward a dense clump of bushes skirting a tree. "Here. This is where it came from," he said.

"Nila?" Alin shouted up the tree. "It's me, Alin. Are you up there?"

"Why would you care if I were up here or not?" a familiar voice answered. "I thought you hated me. Wait, who's down there with you?" An upside-down head popped from the thick canopy of leaves. Her hat was a little smudged and tear stains ran down her face. She sniffed.

"Nila! Ogrest's chaos, Mama and I were worried!" Alin grinned. Then he remembered his companions. "This is Adamai and Yugo, and they helped me find you." They waved weakly, shocked by the incredible similarity of the siblings.

Adamai recovered first. "Are you twins?" he asked. They nodded then continued their conversation.

Nila dropped from the tree, landed in her portal then came out feet first from another. "I thought you hated me," she repeated, crossing her arms.

Alin seemed unimpressed. "You practiced that portal thing," he said flatly.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't." Nila said indigently.

Alin shrugged, "Anyway, I never hated you. I just got angry." Nila knew exactly the shame in letting one's emotions run wild.

"Sorry for trying to blast you," Nila apologized sheepishly. Adamai and Yugo exchanged a look of shock.

"Sorry for causing you to run away and get lost," Alin replied.

"Hate to break up the reunion, but speaking of lost," Yugo glanced around the forest, "Where are we?"

The twins had no clue.


	4. Fires and Puppets

Chapter Four

Amalia sat stubbornly on the dry ground in the woods. She turned her nose up at the scent of Iop puke.

"I hate portals," Dally said after the worst was over, "How does Yugo travel through those without barfing?" He wiped his mouth on his cape.

"More importantly, where is Yugo? I don't exactly think Ad has the internal compass of a Cra," Yugo's adoptive father, Alibert, frowned with worry. It had been an hour since the brothers has set off, hoping to help a strange looking boy their age find his sister. "They should have been back by now."

"I understand your concern, but those two have been through worse than being lost in a forest." Ruel said, "This is nothing big."

Amalia couldn't help but feel guilty. She was the one who had been too stubborn to help search. But the boy had been rude to a princess. She wanted nothing to do with him, especially with his weird eyes and tattoos.

Eva stared into the trees. "I just hope they find Alin's sister."

"Why? Then there are two of those weirdoes. Does it freak anyone else out that his skin was _white_? With blue tattoos up his arm and on his face?" The princess snorted, "We need to start heading to Prisima and quick. Something's up with this forest. The trees are afraid of some hidden power."

"What has gotten into you lately?" Eva said, shocked. "Since when did a different race in the World of Twelve bother you? A princess needs to be fair, no matter the circumstance."

"Since when there people that used the same power as another that is a complete opposite when it comes to looks? What if they aren't the good guys?" Amalia shouted.

Dally's eyes widened. "What if they're parasitic mimics? You know. They steal powers and abilities, eventually leaving the victim completely useless and powerless. Master told me a story about it when I was in training."

"Dally, I didn't know you were capable of even saying parasitic," Rubilax said from his place on the ground.

…

"Don't look at me! I was trying to get lost at one point," Nila held up her hands in front of her. After finding her, the boys had no plan as to get back to… "Where did you guys come from to find me anyway?"

Alin recapped the story of meeting Yugo and Adamai's band of travelers, and the short time it took to find her. "We just need to get back to their friends, so they can continue on their business, and we can go home."

"Do you guys live in Prisima?" the dragon questioned. Nila nodded. "We were actually heading there when I heard someone crying, and we strayed from the original path."

Nila blushed, which looked rather awkward against her paper white skin. "That might have been me." The ears on her hat drooped a little in embarrassment.

"Well, no matter. We have to get back to my friends and my dad. He seemed awfully anxious to get to town." Yugo shrugged. Everyone seemed really off on this adventure. This forest must be getting to them.

Adamai frowned. "What's that?" He pointed to a billowing cloud of gray above the trees.

"That's coming from the direction of Prisima!" Alin said. The twins looked at each other, a silent conversation in their frightened eyes. "It's smoke!"

"Mama!" they shouted as they took off into the trees, using their portals occasionally. It became apparent to Yugo that they weren't as skilled as he was when it came to Wakfu.

"Adamai, we have to help them!" Yugo cried as he ran after them.

"What about the others?" The dragon said as he transformed to a blue and white Tofu.

Yugo portal traveled around a tree. "I have a feeling, when they see the smoke, they'll come."

…

Nila reached the end of the trees first. What she saw was too much for her to handle. Hot tears fell from her blue eyes. But she wasn't about to give up.

Alin coughed as the smoke from the burning inn enveloped the twins. "Nila, come on! We have to find Mama!" He pulled his hat farther over his face to shield from the flying embers.

Nila didn't wait to reply. She took off into the main road where a group of curious townspeople watched the flames engulf her home. "What are you guys doing? We can't let it burn down!"

"What is that?" A girl asked.

"Leave us alone freak!" A man shouted.

"What nerve, telling us what to do," a formal lady said, turning up her nose.

Nila growled in frustration. No one would help! Let alone tell her where her mother was. Alin stepped up behind her. "I don't see Mama anywhere!"

The crowd took a huge step away from the twins, disgusted. Mama would have come out to them. Where could she be?

A large commotion from the onlookers near the forest's edge drew the siblings' attention. A boy in a blue eared hat and a dragon sprinted out of the trees. Following them was the Brotherhood of the Tofu. Yugo was the first to get to the twins.

"We're here to help!" the boy said, ignoring the gasps from the people, "What's wrong?"

"We can't find our mother! She's an Eniripsa and we think that she's in the inn!" Nila choked back a sob. She was not going to be useless while the heroes saved the day. She was strong.

"We have to get to her!" Alin said, determined. His eyes were wet with tears, and he held up a glowing hand. "We need to portal in and find her."

"Right." Yugo agreed, and then turned to his group. "Try and deal with the people and the fire." They nodded seriously.

Nila took a breath, hoping that her portals would carry her in and out of the burning building. She looked to her brother, who was already jumping into his portal, as was Yugo. Angry and frightened, Nila tried to summon a portal. It worked, and she jumped through.

The girl tumbled out of her portal, into the midst of a roaring fire. She scrabbled to her feet and looked around. Two shadows crouched in the flames farther down the hall. Covering her mouth with her shirt, she called to them. "Guys!"

"Nila!" they shouted back. She ran to them, the ears on her hat pressed against her head.

"We need to find Mama and get out," Nila said, "She's probably in the family kitchen, since it's after lunch serving time."

Alin took off down the corridor with the others in tow. The smoke caused hacking fits, and the fire singed anything that stood still too long. Eventually, another sound of coughing sounded softly somewhere in the attic above them. The voice cried help in between each hack.

"Mama!" Nila shouted. A beam had fallen and exposed even more of the attic beside the giant hole in the ceiling. A shape was trapped underneath a fallen bookshelf. Pulling herself up to the attic floor, Nila crept carefully toward it, trying not to cause the whole top floor to collapse. "Is that you?"

"Oh Nila, yes it's me. I can't believe you're here!" Mama coughed, clutching her wand. "Where's your brother?"

Alin stood warily on the burning floor. "Right here. But we have to get you out." Yugo appeared next to the bookcase via portal, startling the Eniripsa, as he took hold of a shelf. Alin and Nila did the same, and they heaved, attempting to move the burning object. But they were cut short by another falling beam.

"Oh, blast it!" Nila cried. And blast it she did. Using her newfound powers, she shot a beam of Wakfu at the immovable object, sending it to splinters. Yugo summoned a portal big enough for all of them, seemingly unfazed by Nila's actions, and waved each of them in. Alin helped Mama up, and, with her leaning on him, they stepped through, followed by Nila and finally, Yugo, leaving the burning inn behind them.

…

Meanwhile, the Brotherhood was holding back the crowd. Amalia had pressed her hand to the ground, her brambles making a fence around the burning house. Eva was valiantly shooting her ice arrows into the fire, hoping to put an end to the flames, but at no avail.

Suddenly, a large blue and cyan circle materialized mere feet away from the smoldering structure. Alibert recognized the familiar object and stepped back. Out stepped a trio of teenagers slightly singed from their adventure, and a portly female Eniripsa who was practically covered in soot. The portal disappeared soon after.

"Yugo!" Alibert smiled as his adopted son wiped the ash of his face, "Good thing you got out when you did! The foundations aren't going to hold much longer." Just as he said that the entire building collapsed in on itself, sending dust flying.

"Mama! Our home…" Nila trailed off, seeing the devastation on her adopted mother's face. The twins had grown up in that building, and that's all they had ever known.

"I'm sorry," Yugo didn't know what else to say. He looked to the rest of his friends. Eva hung her head to her failed attempt at snuffing the fire, Amalia looked ashamed, and Dally gripped his Shushu's handle, angry his Iop strength couldn't help more.

Mama scowled at the twins. "What were you two doing in a burning building?! How many times have I said for you not to run into a house that's on fire, even if someone's in there?!"

Then she turned to the Enutrofs and pointed her wand aggressively at Ruel. "You owe me Kamas from 15 years ago when you two needed medical attention then ran with some of my best healing supplies!"

"Glad to hear you're okay Mama," Alin muttered. Nila laughed and nodded in agreement.

While the adults were arguing, Amalia spoke to Alin. "I'm sorry I was rude to you earlier. The forest was giving off frightened and repulsed emotions. I didn't have enough time to separate my feelings from the trees'. I have a much stronger connection now that I'm older."

"And I was reacting to Amalia's retaliation. I'm her lady-in-waiting and bodyguard, so it was only natural," Eva said apologetically. Dally nodded rigorously as that was his explanation for his behavior as well.

"You were picking on my brother?" Nila laughed, "Why wasn't I there?"

Alin sighed. "Don't worry, I handled it just fine, thanks for asking," he said sarcastically.

"We have more pressing problems right now," Adamai interrupted and pointed to the sky. The group redirected their attention to a huge cloud of smoke that refused to dissipate. The odd thing about it was that it began to swirl and change to a strange light gray with strings of red.

A booming female voice echoed from the cloud, "Darn, I thought I'd get more people with that fire."

"Wait, what?" Nila said on impulse, "You started that fire?"

"Well not technically," the voice laughed evilly. Its cloud moved to hover directly above a small Omasadas boy, whose hands were covered in ashes and eyes where completely red. Thin red tendrils wrapped around his wrists and ankles like puppet strings. An Omasadas woman shrieked from the crowd, and she tried to run to him, but another man of her race stopped her, saying that it was dangerous.

"What did you do to that child?" Yugo shouted. He stood strong. Nila and Alin stood on either side of him, ready to fight.

"What does it look like, boy king?" the voice replied giggling like a maniac, "I am the Puppet Master! Figure it out!" Nila raised an eyebrow. _Boy king?_

"I've never seen someone capable of such dark magic," Ruel said, "But I have heard of Puppet Warp, which allows the user to control a victim's body, and if they are weak enough, they can't break the spell. It was ancient magic, discovered by Sacriers and harnessed by the most powerful and virtuous of the first Sacrier people. It feeds on insecurities and fear, making it harder to break the spell."

"Oh, we have a winner!" the woman cried from her cloud, "And, since I don't need you anymore…" The strings of red on the Omasadas boy dispersed, and his eyes returned to their normal state. He fell to the ground motionless, and the man and woman rushed to him, caressing him in there arms, as his chest moved in ragged breaths.

"You monster!" Mama cried, "Why would you do such a thing?"

"That's a riddle for another day!" The cloud shifted as it moved to the ground, revealing a tall, redhead Sacrier in a red and black traditional outfit of her people. Her hair was garnished with streaks of red, and instead of the normal black markings of a Sacrier, the tattoos on her body and chest were red. She held here hands out like a puppeteer. "Are you ready for this trick?"

Red strings floated lazily from her fingers, wavering, as if unsure where they were meant to go. Then they shoot fast as lightening toward their target; Yugo.

"Watch out!" Nila shoved Yugo out of the range of the strange tendrils, but they wrapped themselves around her instead. She shrieked as some dove into her heart, others snaring her wrists and ankles.

"Nila!" Alin shouted, but there was nothing he could do. The tattoos on her right arm turned red and did her eyes. Her expression was pained, as if there was an internal conflict inside her.

"Wow, she was easier to take that the little kid!" The puppet woman laughed, "She must have some serious fears. Oh well! Now the fun begins!" Moving her hands, Nila stood in a battle position, and, for the first time in a long time, no one knew what to do.


	5. Eliotropes

Chapter Five

On the inside, Nila was in agony. She was trapped in her own body, unable to stop the chaos outside. All she could do was watch the destruction through her red eyes.

"Nila!" Alin shouted again. Nila wanted to reply, but she couldn't even control her facial expressions, let alone her vocal cords. She watched as the puppet woman jerked her hands up and down, side to side, controlling each and every movement with extreme precision.

The crowd ran away, pushing and shoving, hoping to not be affected by the evil Sacrier. Ruel and Alibert waved off any stragglers as the rest of the Brotherhood assumed battle positions. Amalia summoned her brambles from the ground, launching them at the woman in the cloud. Unfortunately, she was once again completely enveloped in the smoke, and it began to raise high in the air.

But that didn't stop her possession magic. Nila used her portals in ways she never knew she could: blasting, moving, and speeding like lightening. She was elated at the new discovery, but the way they were used tore her emotions apart.

"Nila, I know you wouldn't do this! This isn't you! You need to fight it, break the spell! I know you can!" Alin cried as he dodged each blast directed at him. Every time he tried to get closer to her, she shot a portal beam, keeping him away. Tears fell from her face, betraying her emotionless face.

Yugo glanced up at the cloud. An evil voice cackled as it began to swirl faster. Then he had an idea. "Amalia!" he shouted, "Pull the cloud down with your brambles!" She did what the Eliatrope said, and successfully ripped the floating object apart before it got too high. The Puppet Master landed on her feet, stumbling slightly, but kept Nila in her control.

Eva stepped back, aiming her bow at the mysterious puppet woman. An arrow was trained to go straight through her middle, and Eva carefully braced herself. She released the powerful arrow, but the target saw it. The Sacrier yanked her outstretched hands back, causing Nila to take the blow of the arrow on her shoulder.

Nila yelped and fell to the ground. At that time, the red strings chaining her ankles and wrists loosened and the one on her injured arm broke completely. Percedal decided to use the distraction to charge at the villain, Rubilax in a lava sword form. She was forced to draw a long blade from her belt and defend herself. Dally was surprisingly evenly matched as the woman pulled a second knife.

Mama rushed to her adopted daughter's side. Being an Eniripsa, at quick glance she could see that nothing was seriously injured except her shoulder. Nila had been knocked unconscious, and the leftover puppet strings were starting to fade. Alin seethed with rage at the sight.

"No one hurts anyone in my family without going through me!" he shouted as his hands began to glow. He advanced quickly on the evil woman, holding two portals in his hands. Dally moved away just as a wide beam of Wakfu shot directly at the Sacrier. It was so bright that everyone squeezed their eyes shut, as to not be blinded.

When the light subsided, Alin had collapsed, and the puppet woman had leapt into another cloud, this time a little smaller, laughing like a mad woman. "You are all pathetic! If you are all the World of Twelve has to defend against the Order of the Dark, we will soon rule all!" She was obviously hurt, but not as much as that blast should have done. The cloud grew, completely concealed her, and it all disappeared.

…

Nila woke to the calm, cool breeze rustling the green canopy of leaves above her. A dull ache in her shoulder and the sound of people talking encouraged her to not fall back to sleep. She slowly put her weight on her uninjured arm and pulled herself up to a sitting position.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" Mama smiled from her seat beside a cooking fire. Yugo and his father were tending to something Nila didn't recognize that was cooking over the fire. Percedal was slamming his sword against a tree, probably after getting in an argument. Ruel was nowhere to be seen, but his haven bag was lying on the ground next to Amalia and Evangelyne who were having an in depth conversation. Adamai sat outside the group, eyes closed, concentrating.

"Where's Alin?" Nila said the first thing that came to her head. She didn't remember what had happened after she was knocked out, so she was eager to hear what had happened.

"Over there." Mama pointed to a spot at the base of a tree across from her, where Alin lay, seemingly unharmed, either asleep or unconscious. "He used so much of his energy in one attack that his body forced him to faint in order to recover." Nila nodded and yawned. Suddenly, she felt exhausted. She looked up to the night sky and a bright crescent moon smiled back at her. Then she remembered the puppet-magic-wielding Sacrier. How much damage had she ended up doing?

"Hey, are you alright?" Yugo asked, "You look kind of worried."

"I'm fine, just… I hope everyone in Prisima is unharmed. That lady didn't come back, right?" Nila rubbed her temples as the beginnings of a headache began to surface.

"I'm surprised you're not more worried about your shoulder." Alibert said as he turned the chunk of meat on a spit over the fire. Nila looked down at her shoulder. Her sleeve had been torn off and used as a makeshift bandage. The ends of a large scrape peeked out from the edges of the wrap. "It was too banged up to be healed by magic."

"Sorry about that, by the way," Eva apologized sheepishly.

Nila laughed, "No big deal. It wasn't your fault anyway." Eva looked appreciative, though still guilty. Nila scooted her way over closer to the fire. "So, how did we get here anyway?"

"After the Sacrier flew off, we realized that the inn wasn't exactly an option anymore, so we decided to make camp in the forest and since neither you nor your brother would wake up, Alibert and your mother carried you guys here." Amalia answered.

A faint groan escaped from Alin as he woke up. He sat up rubbing his head. "Ouch."

"Come on, sleepyhead. You've been sleeping for a while," Mama cooed.

"Mom, seriously," Alin said, embarrassed. Nila snickered and Alin scowled at her. Then he caught on to the fact that he wasn't at home. Mama filled him in on everything.

Alin sat down next to his sister in the circle. "So, what's Adamai doing?"

"Failing at a message portal," the dragon replied, opening his eyes.

Yugo frowned, "Can't you find Balthazar?" The twins shared a look. _Balthazar?_

"I can't even reach his dimension!" Adamai threw a stick at a tree in frustration.

"Wait a minute," Nila spoke up, "Dimension? Balthazar? Message portal? And I'm pretty sure that that evil lady called you 'boy king'. I am so confused."

"Oh, right, well, I'm the king of a forgotten race of people from a different planet, and Ad is trying to contact our more distant dragon brother, Balthazar, in another dimension where my people are living for now until they are ready to be welcomed in the World of Twelve. I think that about covers it?" Yugo said, and the others nodded, as if that was completely normal.

Mama, Alin, and Nila sat wide-eyed. Mama composed herself first. "Did you know that for a while or is it a new development?"

"I didn't know until about four years ago," and with that Yugo began to tell the entire story, from the first adventure with the giant tree Soft Oak, to the final battle with the Eliatrope traitor Qibly. The others put in their side of some things, and argued with perspectives, but otherwise it was the best story they had ever heard.

"That's so cool!" Nila squealed, "I wanna see Balthazar! Maybe we can help with the portal thing!"

Adamai tapped his chin, "Maybe, but neither of you are dragons or Eliatropes…" he trailed off, "Are you Eliatropes?"

Alin shrugged, "We never really knew what races we are, so we just kinda ignored it."

"And the notes I found them with didn't say anything regarding their races," Mama said.

"I think we should try it anyway. Balthazar might know." Nila suggested. She really just wanted to see the dragon that played such a big part in their new friends' story.

"I suppose it won't do any harm to try," Ad mused, "Come over here, I'll show you. It's basically a portal that reaches to a different dimension all together."

"Sounds easy enough," Alin said sarcastically. The four sat in a small circle.

"Portals aren't exactly my strong point," Nila said, now unsure of her skill.

"I'll focus on the actual portal, you guys focus on the energy it takes to open it," Ad replied, unworried. He extended his arms to the center of the ring, "Ok," he said closing his eyes, "go."

The other three did the same, the twins slightly hesitant. After what seemed like a minute, a small dot of blue began to materialize, and thin blue waves of Wakfu radiated from the extended arms, causing the dot to grow bigger and bigger. Soon, it began to resemble a portal, and a deep voice came from somewhere on the other side. Ruel climbed out of his haven bag to see the new development.

"Hello?" the voice called, "Yugo and Adamai, your coordinates for the location of the portal were perfect."

"Balthazar!" Yugo cheered, "We did it!" Adamai grinned. Alin and Nila scrambled backwards, startled.

"That was sudden," Mama stated bluntly. She was as surprised as her children were.

"Oh, hello, new comers! I didn't see you at first. Sorry if I frightened you." Balthazar said warmly. The Eliacube between his ginormous claws sparked and spun erratically. "Grand job, Brotherhood of the Tofu. You found what the Eliacube sensed in that town. But I take it you found something else as well?" He glared at the bandage wrapping Nila's shoulder.

Alin and Nila avoided eye contact, figuring that they were the extra something that wasn't needed. But the artifact swirling in the dragon's claws seemed familiar.

"Well, we found a lot of things," Percedal said, no longer trying to destroy his demon sword.

"Why is the Eliacube freaking out?" Yugo asked, glancing back to the twins.

"Oh, I know why!" a small Eliatrope girl poked her head in front of the portal, smiling like crazy, "'Cause you found the Protectors of the Eliacube, the Eliotropes!"

"Now, Safina, that's quite enough," Balthazar scolded and the little girl blushed and vanished from sight. "I'm sorry; she isn't one to sit still."

"You found what?" Nila asked, "What in the world is an Eliotrope?"

"Who are you talking about?" Alin inquired, "You have no idea how confused we are."

Mama raised an eyebrow, "Are you talking about them?" She pointed to the twins.

"What?" they exclaimed in unison.

"Balthazar, do you mind explaining?" Eva asked politely.

He nodded. "This all started when we inhabited our first planet. As you may know, Grougaloragran the dragon and his Eliatrope brother Chibi created the most powerful artifact, crafted completely of Wakfu; the Eliacube. Meanwhile, Yugo and Adamai, found a similar Dofus to their own, with two life forces inside. When all of the Six and their dragons were gathered, the Eliacube and the Dofus reacted to each other's presence. Much like when Grougal and Chibi hatched back when Qibly was drawn from the White Dimension in the Sadida Kingdom. Except instead of an infant dragon and Eliatrope, two fully grown twins crashed into being.

"They looked exactly like they do now, and when the Mechasms attacked, they sacrificed everything, all of their own Wakfu, to hide the Eliacube, away from the traitor and his mechanical army. They had become respectful protectors of the important items in our history, and earning the title of Guardian. So they were named Eliotropes," Balthazar concluded.

Alin and Nila weren't the only ones sitting with their mouths wide open in shock. Most of the group was rather dumbstruck, including Yugo and Adamai.

Nila pulled her hat over her face, "I think I need to lie down."


	6. Shopping

Chapter Six

Nila fell backwards, hiding her face in her eared hat. "Wake me up when this crazy dream is over." Unfortunately, she landed with a rock poking into her injured shoulder and she jumped up, rubbing her wound, "Never mind, that rock woke me." She glared at the little pebble.

Alin sat completely still, mouth hanging open. He hadn't reacted at all since the news was given to them. His adoptive mother put a hand on his shoulder.

"Is he ok?" Alibert raised an eyebrow.

Ms. Sloth smiled. "Yes, he's fine. He does this. He'll get over the initial shock soon."

Nila counted down on her fingers, "Three, two, one…"

"That's awesome!" Alin jumped up just as the countdown ended, causing his family to laugh. "Wait, did I miss something?" They shook their heads fake-innocently.

"Anyway, would that mean that they aren't parasitic mimics?" Dally asked. Eva clapped a hand over his mouth to prevent any more stupid from falling out.

"I don't think so," Nila said, "But that would be cool."

"How do you even know what a mimic is?"

"You hear a lot of stuff when you're cleaning the inn," Alin said mysteriously. Nila nodded solemnly.

Balthazar cleared his throat. "I have come to realize that you have encountered a set-back at the village?"

"A Sacrier woman set their inn on fire, and then she attacked us!" Adamai said, recapping the whole story. Balthazar remained silent, contemplating.

"Didn't she say something about the 'Order of the Dark' or something?" Amalia offered helpfully.

"Unfortunately, that sounds familiar," Balthazar sighed. Everyone looked to him, hoping for an explanation. "The Order of the Dark is a group of power-hungry individuals, and it dates back to when the nations were just being established. At the time, they had a leader that used a forbidden magic known as Puppet Warp, which sounds much like your Puppet Master, and he would gather support for his organization. His ultimate goal was to rule the entire World of Twelve using fear and oppression to keep peace. He had a top court sort of thing that was the most powerful and loyal of his recruits. His 'court' consisted of himself and four others. But the nations assembled to defeat the rebels, and the Order was no more. Until now I suppose."

"How much crazy news are we going to hear today?" Nila shouted, "I don't think I can handle much more!" She growled in frustration and buried her face in the tail end of her hat.

"From my understanding, this Puppet Master is the new leader of the Order of the Dark and she is trying to destroy anything that could pose a threat to her 'world dominance' plan," Ms. Sloth summarized. The dragon in the message portal nodded. "Do we have any idea where she is?"

"The former Order used to meet in the city of Astrub in a secret location," Balthazar suggested.

"That's all we have to do, right? Go find her and teach her a lesson for messing with us?" Percedal smiled. He hadn't seen a true battle since the Crimson Claw Archipelago.

"Well, I have some business to attend to in town and supplies would be necessary for a long adventure like that," the Eniripsa replied uncertainly.

"Aw, Mom, we have to go!" Nila pleaded.

"Yeah, Balthazar said we're Guardians! It's our job now!" Alin pointed out.

"We'll discuss it in the morning," their mother sighed.

"But…"

"That's the end of it!"

The twins hung their heads sadly. They knew that usually meant that it wasn't happening. But they also knew they had nothing to go back to; no home, no one in the village.

Yugo turned his attention to his dragon brother. He knew they had to come. He didn't know _why_ , but it looked like Adamai had the same feeling. Then he turned to Balthazar. "We'll check back with you in the morning. It is getting kind of late."

The big dragon nodded. "Very well." The portal dispersed and the clearing dimmed as it was only lit by the fire. Ruel climbed back into his haven bag, and then locked it from the inside.

Nila sat leaning against a tree. "Good night everyone. By the way, this is my tree. Don't touch it." She turned over, facing the dark expanse of the forest.

Alin poked 'her tree' lightly. "Poke." Nila slapped his hand hard without even turning around. "Well, she's grumpy."

"Alin, give your sister some space. A lot happened today and she just needs time to think it over." Ms. Sloth scolded softly. Alin huffed and climbed up into a tree next to his sister's tree.

"This is my tree now," he said crossing his arms.

…

The sun began to rise; sending a ray of light straight into Nila's sleeping eyes. Squeezing her eyes shut, she sat up stretching. _What an insane dream,_ she thought. Then her eyes opened and she saw she was in the middle of the forest in a clearing full of sleeping people. Nila frowned. _Never mind._

A loud snore erupted from the branches of the tree next to hers. Then a snap, and a tree limb and her brother came tumbling down. A blue and gold decorative eared hat hung from a branch. Alin sat rubbing his head gingerly, wincing as a bump formed from his fall.

"Alin, keep your hat on," Nila hissed shoving it back on him over his translucent Wakfu dragon wings on his head. She helped him up.

"Um, Nila…" Alin pointed across the clearing. Nila clenched her fists.

Amalia had woken up in time to see the wings protruding from Alin's head. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. "Yugo!" she shouted and the boy sprang up, blasting the canopy of leaves above him with a portal.

After seeing nothing was threatening them, he frowned. "What's wrong? I was sleeping." Amalia pointed to the twins, one seething, one embarrassed.

"He had wings on his head!" Amalia squeaked. By now, some of the others woke up, curious to what was happening. Eva frowned, Ms. Sloth gasped and Adamai was smiling excited to see what occurred next.

Yugo grimaced. "I figured," he said.

Nila calmed down a bit. "You have…" she pointed to the ears on her hat. The boy king nodded. "I knew we weren't the only ones." Alin grinned.

"Wait, what? You guys have wings on your heads?" Eva questioned. By now everyone had woken up, even Ruel came out of his bag.

"I do not wish to discuss this matter as it is _private_ ," Nila scowled, crossing her arms. Suddenly she felt her hat lift off her head and be pulled out of reach. She blushed and hid the wings under her arms. Alin clapped his hands over his hat as to protect from the hat thief.

"Hey!" shouted Yugo, "Who did that?" He too held his hat tightly.

A tofu flew just out of reach holding an eared hat. Yugo glared at the bird. "Where were you this whole time, Az?"

Amalia squealed, "Oh, those are so cute! Why would you ever hide them?"

Nila put her arms down, her face still bright red. "This is embarrassing," she muttered as Amalia poked the end of the small wing. Alin laughed and he received a punch in the shoulder.

"How about we just get moving?" Ms. Sloth suggested, clapping her hands together, "I have some shopping to do before we go."

Nila jumped after the bird, trying to snatch her hat back. "Give that back you little…" Az bobbed and weaved, eventually dropping the hat high in a tree branch. Nila scowled, and kicked the tree trunk angrily, "Dang it!"

"You know you could portal up there, right?" Alin grinned, holding her hat, after using his portals to reach it.

"I'm useless with portals, you know that!" she shouted, grabbing the branch and shaking, causing her brother to fall for the second time. She snatched her hat from him, and yanked it roughly over her head. "We never speak of this again." Alin rubbed his head as a headache began to surface.

"We must have enough supplies in Ruel's haven bag, right? We don't have to go back to Prisima," Eva said, trying in vain to hide the fear in her eyes.

"I understand why you don't want to go back," the Eniripsa said.

"What?!" Eva gasped and gripped Percedal's hand.

"But it's no big deal now. I'm sure no one will even recognize you, you've grown so much."

"Mom, what the hay are you talking about?" Alin and Nila had never heard about much of their mother's life before they came along. Could she know something about Eva that even her best friends didn't?

"Nothing that concerns you," Ms. Sloth replied, receiving a grateful look from the now much more mysterious Cra. "Now, everyone get your stuff together. We are heading back into town."

"Who made her in charge?" Yugo's father asked Ruel.

The old Enutrof shrugged. "I wouldn't question. We owe her money after all."

"Correction. _You_ owe her money." Alibert replied, chuckling to himself.

Together, the group began to trek back through the forest, back to the small, bustling market street of Prisima. Their camp hadn't been too far from the village, but it was laborious for the sleepy bunch, but they knew not to cross the Eniripsa.

"Hey, wait! We can't go in there!" Nila stepped back into the tree line. "We aren't exactly welcome!"

"Can't you put on your cloak or something?" Ms. Sloth asked.

"I actually think I might have dropped it in the woods back when we found Nila in a tree." Alin shrugged as if to say _Oh well, not my fault!_ He conveniently still had his cloak on.

"On the contrary," Adamai raised his claw which held a bundled up black fabric, "I picked it up before we left because I figured we would need it." He handed the cloak to Nila who wrapped it around her shoulders.

"You're the best! I missed this thing!" Nila smiled at the dragon who smiled back appreciatively. She flipped the hood over her head and jumped out of the tree line with a flourish. She pointed heroically. "To Prisima!"

"Yeah!" Alin shouted and the twins ran ahead, excited. They had never been to the market when it was open. They were only sometimes allowed out in the streets at night, but they could always go to the forest.

"This is too peaceful for one of our adventures," Amalia thought aloud.

Eva agreed. "Maybe we'll have a nice normal day."

"I hope not!" Percedal held his Shushu sword aloft, "I hope we get into another fight!"

Eva rolled her eyes. _Iop brain,_ she thought.

As the band drew closer to the edge of town, the smoldering remains of what had once been a beautifully successful inn caused only sadness and remorse. A few charred beams stuck up from the ruins, and broken glass littered the burnt grass around it.

"When we see that Sacrier lady again, I'm gonna punch her in the face!" Nila vowed, clenching her fists.

"Personally, I would kick her in the stomach," Alin said.

Nila nodded. "I like that idea. I just want to break her nose."

"Since when are you two so violent? Come along, we have stuff to do." Ms. Sloth grabbed the ends of the twins' capes and dragged them away from the ashes of their old home.

Yugo laughed. "That's great, as long as I get to blast her into the ground."

Suddenly, any peace was forgotten.

"Look! It's the Brotherhood of the Tofu!" a girl shouted from the crowd in the market.

"Ogrest's chaos, she's right! What are they doing in Prisima?" a boy replied.

The entire crowd swarmed the Brotherhood, and Nila, Alin, Alibert, and Ms. Sloth were excluded as none of them were famous. "Perfect!" the Eniripsa said smiling, "Now the lines are short."

"Is this normal?" Alin asked the Enutrof who didn't seem too shocked.

"Basically. You should have seen the business we had at our inn when Yugo and Adamai came home."

"Man, that's so cool. I wanna be famous." Nila sulked. Then her mood changed. "Never mind, that looks painful."

The girls had been trying to leave the tight circle of fans, but they kept getting pushed and shoved, and Amalia even had a bruise on her arm.

"Maybe the crowd will get bored of them eventually," Nila suggested.

"We'll come get them later. We have some shopping to do." Ms. Sloth walked off toward a produce stall looking down at her supply list. Alibert followed, holding a similar list.

"When did they have the time to make a list?" Alin asked incredulously. Nila shrugged, but her mind was on something else.

"Hey, I have an idea," Nila grinned mischievously, "We can leave Mom to the shopping while we just explore the streets."

Alin sighed, "Only if we can travel by roof top." Alin summoned a portal and the twins both jumped through, appearing a second later on the roof of a two-story house.

"This is so cool! Plus I can just follow in your portals so it won't matter if I'm terrible at it anyway!" Nila smiled and jumped to the next slanted roof top.

"You're so lucky the houses are so close together." Alin jumped after his sister. They leaped across the town, unwillingly scaring the people who paid attention to them. They accidentally caused a shingle from a doctor's office to fall on a Pandawa's head. After a while, the two teenage Eliotropes found themselves overlooking a darkened alley way on the opposite edge of town.

"I want to go down there," Alin said.

Nila laughed, "You'd probably get mugged or something." Alin jumped down anyway. "Hey, wait for me!"

Alin and Nila stood in the shadow, the light of the day fading behind them. The end of the alley was obscured in darkness. "See? Nothing's down here." Something about dark corners freaked Nila out, but she heard so many bad stories about them from the inn customers.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, missy," a voice meowed. It sounded as though a Bow-Meow had spoken from behind them. The cloaked teenagers whirled around, ready to strike if needed.

"Rather well put, Grammy," another voice replied. Blocking the entrance of the side street stood a scrawny Rogue, dressed in black, armed and armored with a ridiculous amount of purple Shushus. Next to him crouched an oddly large black Bow-Meow. They smiled evilly.

"Can we help you?" Alin scowled under his hood. Nila clenched her fists.

"Actually, yes," the Rogue said, twirling a Shushu pistol around his finger. "We are looking for a Cra that you seem to know."

The Bow-Meow snickered. "Her name's Evangelyne," he added.

"Even if we did know her, who are you?" Alin inquired.

The Rogue laughed, "I am Remington Smisse, the famed Shushu collector! And this is my brother, Grammy." The Bow-Meow dipped its head.

"Oh yeah, famed! Totally," a Shushu dagger grumbled from its holster, "About as famous as that blade of grass." The other weapons laughed and Remington glared at them.

"That's a good one," Alin smiled then returned to the subject at hand, "Anyway, what do you want with Evangelyne?"

"Oh, you haven't heard about what happened here so long ago? She's wanted for it now," Granny snickered cryptically.

Alin let his guard down, "It was mentioned, I think."

Suddenly, the Rogue shot a net from his gun, trapping the boy under a web of chain.

"Alin!" Nila shouted, tugging on the chain. Only nothing happened. It didn't shift.

"Good luck getting out of that. It's power-neutralizing and immovable by anyone but the shooter." Remington shot a second net that landed over the girl.

The Bow-Meow had hopped up to a high vantage point on some crates. "Remi, I think I found Evangelyne." He pointed with a paw to a dense crowd of people slowly making their way up the street. Every once and a while, the twins could see a glimpse of one of the Brotherhood members in the fan group.

"Well, that makes my task much simpler," the bounty hunter turned to the trapped Eliotropes, "And you two will be bait." He cackled evilly.


	7. Stories Around a Campfire

Chapter 7

"When we get out of here, you are in for a world of hurt buddy!" Nila growled from under a power-neutralizing chain net trapping her from giving a good beat down to the Rogue that captured her and her brother, Remington Smisse.

"You're not getting out unless I say so," Remington said, "And I don't say so." He put the net gun in one of his many holsters on his belt.

"Remi, it's time to go. The crowds walking this way," Granny warned.

"Fine," Remi snapped his fingers and the nets folded under the twins, making sacks that grew spider-like legs and eyes like Shushus. "Let's go then.

"The chains are made of demons?!" Alin gawked.

"I don't care what they're made of, we need to get out!" Nila tried in vain to punch the eyes of her cage. She only bloodied her knuckles in the process.

…

"Where did those two run off to now?" Phyllis Sloth stood carrying her personal haven bag, now full of supplies for the coming journey. She couldn't see her adopted twins anywhere.

"Probably off exploring," Alibert assured, "If they don't get out much, this is their chance."

The Eniripsa sighed, "Let's just follow the crowd of fans. They'll show up soon."

They stopped in their tracks as a scream escaped from the fan group and it scattered, making it impossible to see anything without getting confused. The adults pushed their way through the crowd, eventually finding the Brotherhood of the Tofu, looking rather winded and shocked, staring at a rooftop.

"What…?" Ms. Sloth followed their gaze. On the said rooftop stood an arrogant looking Rogue and –was that a Bow-Meow? – standing with two sacks that bore spider-like legs and Shushu eyes. The Rogue seemed to have his fair share of the demon weapons himself.

"Remington!" Evangelyne shouted angrily, "What are you doing here?" She stood poised to draw her bow and fire an arrow.

"Looking for you, of course!" Remington laughed, and the Bow-meow snickered as well.

"And you might want to hear us out," the animal said.

Just then, the cages opened from the top, dumping two Eliotropes, both dazed and one bloody. Their hoods had fallen down, but their hats remained intact. Remington aimed two Shushu pistols them.

"No!" Ms. Sloth rushed to the front, arming herself with her Eniripsa wand, "Let them go this instant!"

"They do recognize these freaks! I knew it!" the Bow-Meow purred triumphantly.

"You want these monstrosities? Only if you fess up for what you did here long ago and come with us quietly. The Order of the Dark will make you pay for your actions!"

Evangelyne gasped, completely dropping her guard, and she got a faraway look in her eyes. Percedal stood next to her, determined to protect her.

"That won't be happening," Ms. Sloth said, "We'll find a different way."

"How about a time limit? That'll make things interesting!" Remington laughed psychotically, "Five minutes sounds fine!"

"Five minutes is not fine! You are sick!" Amalia barked, clenching her fists. Small sprouts grew from the ground around her bare feet in reaction to her anger, "Leave them alone, you pathetic bounty hunter!" A long string of un-princess-like curses followed, though only her friends looked fazed.

"Anyway," Remington said, annoyed, "Your friend, the Cra who you could always trust? She killed someone when she was eight years old, right here in this town. Rather evil, huh? And it was a respected council member from the Order of the Dark."

Eva cringed. "I did what I had to do," she said regretfully.

Yugo looked at his two friends on the rooftop, and noticed the dazed look had faded from their eyes. Nila looked directly to him, catching his gaze. Her strange blue eyes seemed to reassure him, telling him to focus on Evanelyne and not worry about them. He nodded.

Nila glanced at her brother who looked like he was about to puke. She reached over and got his attention and, with their twin senses, came up with a plan.

"Three minute warning!" Remington burst into maniacal laughter. He was so busy gloating he didn't notice the twins' movement. "You really are slow!"

"Stop being a coward and fight!" Percedal shouted, tapping Rubilax against the ground, changing him into a large sword with a green vine encircling it.

"Why fight when you can take hostages?" Granny sniggered, looking toward the captives. Unfortunatly, the Bow-Meow saw them move, "Remi, they're still awake!"

Before the Rogue could look at them, the Eliotropes leapt into action. Nila swept her leg, knocking Remi to the floor, dropping his guns. Alin summoned a portal underneath Granny and dropped him into one of the open Shushu chain sacks. They each grabbed a pistol and aimed it at the Rogue.

"Time's up," Alin said.

"That's the best you can come up with?" Nila smirked, "That is possibly the worst remark in a fight I have ever heard."

Alin shrugged, "Seemed relevant."

Yugo and Adamai took a portal to the roof and the dragon held up the Rogue by his shirt collar. "You have a lot of explaining to do," he growled.

…

Nila ripped the one remaining sleeve from her shirt and wrapped it around her bloody knuckles. She clenched and unclenched her fist as the bandage folded and creased with the bends of her hand.

Alin watched as his sister had her hand magically healed with their mother's Eniripsa wand. Though it did little, as Ms. Sloth was out of practice, it healed the multiple scratches. The Eliotropes had no further injuries but if Nila was as angry as she let on, she was going to keep her promise for a world of hurt for the Rogue that tried to use them as hostages.

After a rough knock on the head with an Enutrof shovel, Remington hadn't woken up for the whole move to the forest and for a while after that, giving Eva some time to emotionally prepare herself for anything the Rogue might say. The Bow-Meow refused to say a word if his brother was out of commission, so he only spat insults and profanity at the group. And it was getting of Alin's nerves.

"You freaks should know better than to mess with us! You were the problem in the first place. The Grand Master said so," the animal mocked at the Eliotropes. He was still trapped in a chain cage that seemed to follow Remi around.

That was the last straw for Alin. He reached in the bag and pulled the cat out by the scruff of his neck. "Say anything bad about my sister and I, and I'll throw you in the White Dimension," he snarled.

"Oh dang," Yugo laughed. Adamai snickered.

Alin dropped the cat back into the bag, and sat next Nila, arms crossed. He looked completely serious.

The cat, on the other hand, couldn't seem to take a hint. "You are just pathetic! You wouldn't follow through on any threats!"

Alin tried to stand up again but Nila held him down. "Save your energy for destroying the Rogue. Then we'll take care of the Bow-Meow."

Alin slumped and stared daggers at Granny. "Fine."

Amalia rolled her eyes. She wasn't happy either, but she could channel it much better. Mainly because her job was to maintain a cage made of brambles to keep Remington locked up. She was all too prepared for when he woke up and discovered a prison full of spikes.

"Can we wake him and speed this up?" Percedal tapped Rubilax against the dirt impatiently, clearly bored.

Amalia smirked, "Gladly." The thorns in the cage grew and the cage itself shrunk.

Remington yelped awake as a particularly sharp thorn poked him. After assessing the wound, he looked at the people surrounding him, and his confidence seemed to melt away.

"I was hired! Granny told me to! I didn't do it!" the Rogue said immediately.

"Well, we know that last one was a lie." Alibert said.

"After we get the information we need, I'm gonna knock him into next week," Nila muttered to her brother. He nodded.

"I'll cut straight to the point," Ms. Sloth decided to speak, "Where can we find the Puppet Master, and who is the Grand Master?"

"Don't tell them!" Granny shouted. He received a murderous look from Alin.

The Eniripsa sighed. "Let me rephrase that. Tell us where to find the Puppet Master and who the Grand Master is and we'll let you go without a scratch." The twins looked at her in surprise.

"You can tell them now," Granny said nervously. One thing everyone in the World of Twelve should know is that Eniripsas will protect their families almost as fiercely as a Feca.

"How about you let us go first?" Remington suggested halfheartedly.

"Yeah, right. We weren't born yesterday. But we don't have all day, so spill before we have to take drastic measures," Ms. Sloth said seriously. This also received an odd look from Nila and Alin.

"The Puppet Master can be found at the Order of the Dark's headquarters and I don't know who the Grand Master is, but he leads the Order. Can we go now?" Granny decided he couldn't keep his mouth shut, and Remington glared at his brother.

Nila couldn't keep her mouth shut anymore, though, "Yeah, we get that! Where's the actual place? I really need to punch something right now!"

"Please don't punch me," Remington cringed.

"Brakmar! It's in Brakmar! Now let us go!" Granny clawed at the chain links, trying to climb out. Yugo looked at Adamai.

The dragon crossed his arms. "I know that look. I get it, but we need more information. We can't let them go."

"You won't have to," the Rogue suddenly smiled evilly. A purple and black orb rolled out of the cage. A string on the end was being burned down.

"Bomb!" Ruel cried, just as it exploded. Smoke filled the clearing. The sound of running footsteps grew quieter as they drew farther away.

The smoke cleared, and the Rogue, his brother, and the Shushu chain things were gone. Footprints led in one direction. Alin and Nila jumped to their feet.

"Hey!" Nila shouted, "I promised to beat him up!"

"Me too!" Alin began to run across the clearing.

"Wait!" Eva spoke and the twins froze. "We don't need them anymore. We have the area and I have some idea where to go."

Ms. Sloth tucked her wand into her pocket. "Eva, sweetheart, I don't mean to pry, but what that disgusting criminal said about you, you need to at least explain that to your friends. It's not our business, so we'll leave if you choose to do so." The Cra hung her head. "I'm just going to say, I didn't blame you when it happened. You had no choice."

Evangelyne sighed and looked at the Eniripsa gratefully. "You don't have to leave. I suppose if you're Yugo and Adamai's family, you should all hear this, too."

"Oh, right. Aren't you guys, like, brothers and sister?" Ruel pointed out.

Nila brightened. "That's right!"

"If all the Dofuses came from the same place, and we were one of them, that makes sense," Alin grinned.

"I'm good with that. You two are pretty cool," Adamai shrugged and smiled slightly.

Yugo began counting on his fingers, "Well, that makes you guys and us and Balthazar and… There are a lot of people in our family!"

"Honestly, can't you guys shut up?" Amalia cast a withering glare at the four siblings. They quieted immediately.

"Please continue," Ms. Sloth said to Evangelyne. The Cra took a deep breath, gripped Percedal's hand, and told her story.

"A long time ago, my sister, Cleophee, and I had lived in Prisima. We had gotten lost and ended up there, separated from our party by the forest. We were forced to find a job or steal to eat. We were too well raised to pilfer and we were much too young to find a profession, and at the time, we thought that we would never get back home.

"One night we were in one of the many alleyways about town when a strange Omasadas walked towards us, snatched Cleo, and said something I couldn't hear. Cleo was flailing and shouting, but no one heard us, as the streets were bustling. I had no choice but to try and shoot his hand and make him release Cleo. I aimed at him, shouting for him to release her, but he replied with something I still didn't understand. His tail lashed out at me, and I lost control of the arrow. It went straight at his chest.

"Later, Cleo and I ran into our party in the forest, and after a brief talk, we decided that it was never to be brought up again. Of course, news travels fast, and we had to lay low for a while."

No one said anything for a full minute.

"I would've punched him in the face first," Nila declared bluntly. Alin elbowed her in the side.

"Oh. I thought was going to be worse," Percedal responded to Eva's story with total nonchalance. Ruel nodded in agreement.

"If you thought we were going to hate you after that, you're wrong. Plus, I don't blame you. That guy was a creep," Amalia stated.

Eva smiled timidly.

"Can we chase after the other creep-o Rogue now? I really think he deserves a punch in the face," Nila asked.

"You have no sense of tact," Alin rolled his eyes, "But I totally agree."

Ms. Sloth sighed, looking resigned. "Sure. Don't go too far and get lost, okay?"

Both Eliotropes jumped up excitedly, dashing into the trees. The rest of the group settled into a peaceful silence, simply enjoying the quiet until the real threat was upon them.


End file.
